Every month or someone seems to ask at the LAB, how do the big time sound roadies get those demonic sounding, yet full fidelity vocal effects a la Cookie Monster.
The answer is, the Butt Probe by Metasonix. They say they’re only going to make 100 of them so you better get ‘em while you can. Word is they’re about US$600.
It’s time to head back out and introduce the next installment of A Dog’s Tale. Previous segments have included the Mexico and Spanish tours of 2003 and “The Glamor of Show Business” short feature from one of three European legs I did last year. I had originally intended the short to be something different than it was. I knew next to nothing about video or filmmaking, I just picked up a camera and started to shoot and pumped the results into Final Cut. Around 1500 people have downloaded it so far (between 6000 and nearly 10,000 visit APD every month but only about 3500 or so are regulars) and most seemed to enjoy it, but it was nothing like I intended to do and mostly what I didn’t want to do. I’ll have the DV cam again but with better audio and lighting gear and a better understanding of how to use it and the workflow of managing what I shoot and putting it together. I shot way too much gear and not enough people and this time I’d like to focus more on the people and if some are willing, some short interviews to show people what it’s like on tour.
As I was trolling around Yamaha’s site earlier today looking for dish on the Nexo deal and updating my Studio Manager DM2k and PM5D software for the upcoming leg, I noticed something that I’d been expecting to see. The PM4000 and PM3500 have been officially added to the “legacy” product list. With no fanfare, I’d say under the radar what is perhaps the most prevalent console in the pro sound reinforcement biz took the route eqivalent of an old roadie moving to Bradenton to take advantage of the living out the “back nine” as they say of quite a productive life.
The “4k” as it’s more commonly known set the standard for the industry for over a decade and is most certainly the best selling professional large frame sound reinforcement mixing console. The writing has been on the wall for a while. With the release of the hydrid console the PM5000 a couple years back and with the storm that the PM5DRH has taken the market, it was clear by the end of last year the 4ks days were numbered. Toward the end of the year the only direct reference to the 4k or 3500 was the monitor versions while the main thrust of the marketing was the PM1D, PM5D and DM2000. Even as late as spring 2k5 it was said that while the console wasn’t featured on the site, it was still on the price list and wasn’t on the legacy products page.
It’s not surprising that the 4k and 3500 have been end of lifed though I thought there would have been some sort of announcement or press release perhaps hailing the end of an era and ushering a brave new world revolving around surfaces and hybrid consoles. Yamaha is the dog that wags the console industries tail in the realm of sound reinforcement. Sure, there are other products considered more high performance, like the upper Midas lines but in terms of shear volume Yamaha and the 4k in particular is the basis for what constitutes a large frame sound reinforcement console. What I did find interesting though was the positioning of the transition consoles. For example on the PM3500 page there is a graphic stating that the 3500 is being replaced by the PM5D. Likewise, on the 4k page there is a graphic stating it’s being replaced by the PM5k. I suppose that’s all well and good, but the penetration of PM5ks is almost non existant compared to the Midas H3k line. I even see more XL4s than PM5ks but that might be because I spec the XL4 and not the PM5k.
I think the reality of the market is that the PM5DRH is really the replacement of the 4k regardless of what the Yamaha marketing might wish us to think. It’s got a penetration rate far greater than the PM5k and price wise is more in line with what a 4k was. As I’ve said before, though not my favorite surface (though I do like using them) it will be the standard that takes the sound reinforcment industry from analog consoles to surfaces. It’s positive to see a company the size of Yamaha, that doesn’t necessarily respond with lightning speed to changing market conditions, usher is a change like this for the industry.
It’s just too bad we couldn’t give the old boy a proper retirement party.